Ensure that the stated values and standard operating procedures of the IDF effec-
tively instill the duty of caring for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as
well as Israelis living there, consistent with The Ethical Code of The IDF.
The GOI should lift closures, transfer to the PA all tax revenues owed, and per-
mit Palestinians who had been employed in Israel to return to their jobs; and should
ensure that security forces and settlers refrain from the destruction of homes and roads,
as well as trees and other agricultural property in Palestinian areas. We acknowledge
the GOI’s position that actions of this nature have been taken for security reasons.
Nevertheless, their economic effects will persist for years.
The PA should renew cooperation with Israeli security agencies to ensure, to
the maximum extent possible, that Palestinian workers employed within Israel
are fully vetted and free of connections to organizations and individuals engaged in
terrorism.
The PA should prevent gunmen from using Palestinian populated areas to fire
upon Israeli populated areas and IDF positions. This tactic places civilians on both
sides at unnecessary risk.
The GOI and IDF should adopt and enforce policies and procedures designed to
ensure that the response to any gunfire emanating from Palestinian populated areas
minimizes the danger to the lives and property of Palestinian civilians, bearing in mind
that it is probably the objective of gunmen to elicit an excessive IDF response.
The GOI should take all necessary steps to prevent acts of violence by settlers.
The parties should abide by the provisions of the Wye River Agreement pro-
hibiting illegal weapons.
The PA should take all necessary steps to establish a clear and unchallenged chain
of command for armed personnel operating under its authority.
The PA should institute and enforce effective standards of conduct and account-
ability, both within the uniformed ranks and between the police and the civilian polit-
ical leadership to which it reports.
The PA and GOI should consider a joint undertaking to preserve and protect holy
places sacred to the traditions of Muslims, Jews, and Christians. An initiative of this
nature might help to reverse a disturbing trend: the increasing use of religious themes
to encourage and justify violence.
The GOI and PA should jointly endorse and support the work of Palestinian and
Israeli non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in cross-community initia-
tives linking the two peoples. It is important that these activities, including the pro-
vision of humanitarian aid to Palestinian villages by Israeli NGOs, receive the full
backing of both parties.
RESUME NEGOTIATIONS
We reiterate our belief that a 100 percent effort to stop the violence, an immedi-
ate resumption of security cooperation and an exchange of confidence building mea-
sures are all important for the resumption of negotiations. Yet none of these steps will
long be sustained absent a return to serious negotiations.
It is not within our mandate to prescribe the venue, the basis or the agenda of
negotiations. However, in order to provide an effective political context for practical
cooperation between the parties, negotiations must not be unreasonably deferred and
ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS 297